Over 5,000 injured while sacrificing animals

ISTANBUL

There were 5,102 people hospitalized for injuries while sacrificing animals on the first day of the Eid al-Adha across the country, Demirören News Agency has reported.

“The emergency rooms of hospitals were filled by inexperienced butchers,” the agency said on July 10.

All the municipalities arranged special altars for the citizens to sacrifice their animals, however, many people did not listen to the warnings of the officers and slaughtered the animals in public places, parks, streets, even the highway ramps.

A photo showing people sacrificing the animals in Istanbul’s Sultangazi district under a sign saying, “It is forbidden to sacrifice an animal here,” sensationalized social media.

“I did not take the animal to a local altar and brought to this open area, because it is near my house,” a Sultangazi local, who was fined for sacrifice in a park, noted.

The penalty for disobeying the rules was 277 Turkish Liras ($16).

Eid al-Adha is the second and bigger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam. It honors the willingness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son İsmail as an act of obedience to Allah’s command.

In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days.

The holiday began on July 9 in Türkiye and will end on July 12.